Grandmother accused of leaving kids, dog in hot car released on bond

Police investigate after two kids and a dog were found inside a hot car Wednesday.

Two kids and a dog were found inside the car on the right Wednesday.

WEST ASHLEY, SC (WCSC) -

An 81-year-old woman accused of leaving two children and a dog in a hot car in the parking lot of a West Ashley Walmart on Wednesday posted a $50,000 bond Thursday afternoon and was released from jail.

Geneva Johnson was charged with two counts of unlawful conduct towards a child.

The Charleston Police Department got a call around 6:27 p.m. that an 8-year-old girl, 9-year-old boy and a dog were locked in a car at the parking lot. Authorities say that the children's grandmother was in the store shopping.

Police say the kids were in the car for almost an hour. Authorities say during the time the kids were in the car, there were excessive heat warnings and temperatures reaching more than 100 degrees. The heat index at 7 p.m. was around 102 degrees.

An affidavit states that an employee saw the girl inside the car shaking, wet and crying uncontrollably. Investigators say the windows were rolled up enough that the employee convinced the children to unlock the door and brought them inside to cool off.

Johnson's attorney and friends say it was a case of a lapse in judgement and that the woman is not a criminal.

"Just from looking at her on that TV camera I could see tears in her eyes, I'm sure she felt bad," said friend McArthur Matthews.

The kids were taken to St. Francis to be checked out but were found alert. The dog was given to a family friend.